Owned a 2015 for a few years. These are ABSOLUTE rocket ships. Don’t let anyone say they don’t have a lot of get up and go. 1st gear to 70, 2nd gear well over 100 mph…in about 5 seconds. Great bike.

Not enough power ??? .... you only had the tachometer at 2,000 to 3,000 RPM most of the time. Since it redlines at 10,500 RPM try to get it over 9,000 before you shift gears. This will change your mind when the front wheel lifts off the ground.

Comfort=miles. Miles=Smiles. Every review I have seen on the Concourse has been nothing but positive. Everyone who rides it seems to love it for the most part.

I have a 2009 Concours that I purchased new. I also own a 2014 Triumph Street Triple R. I feel like I have the best of both worlds owning both of these bikes. The Kawasaki has been such an amazing all around bike. I have had very few issues with it over the years. Mostly tire pressure sensors going dead. The valve cover gasket will start leaking around 12,000 miles or so but it generally coincides with a valve lash inspection. The only real issue I had was the bottom row of the radiator became partially clogged around 50K miles. I had it checked when the bike started running one bar hotter than usual. I was a little surprised as I have had the Kawasaki dealer change the coolant every two years. Other than that this bike has been perfect. It still looks as good as the day I bought it. I have an Area P slip-on exhaust with an Ivan's flash. I just had the bike flashed about a year ago. It has been an improvement with on/off throttle response and I find that the bike has more power throughout the rev range. I honestly didn't think there was anything wrong with the bike before it was flashed. I just wanted to give it a try. It was money well spent. Stock, in my opinion, the bike was never short on power. I also have a Sargent low profile seat. I felt like I was sitting on top of the bike with the stock seat. The engine really starts to wake up over 4K rpm and really turns on between 6 and 8. Generally, I don't find myself lingering up in the 6K rpm range often. Cruising on the highway I'm generally sitting around 4K rpm in 6th gear. If I am in heavy crazy highway traffic I sometimes run it in fifth and keep the rpms at around 5K so I have immediate power. You won't go wrong with this bike new or used. I think it is more of a fat Ninja instead of a dad bike btw. Thanks for the review.

Good review. I kinda agree what you're saying about power, but remember you're lugging around town at 3500-4000 rpm, where it is nice and mellow and predictable. Spin it up to 8000+ and it's fast enough for everyone but squids. I love mine. I'll keep it for as long as I have the strength to push it around..

I've had my 2013 for 7 years now and I still love it. I'm a father of 4 adult children so I'm good with the label, especially when they watch me disappear into the distance.

I brought a 60 lb bag of dog food home from the store strapped on my Connie’s back seat. They carry a ridiculous amount of stuff it’s hilarious. Also kudos for being 5’4” and jumping right on that thing. I’m 5’9” and it took me weeks to get comfortable with the extra weight when I first got it. (Last bike only weighed like 450 lbs)

This bike will cruise at 120mph all day without breaking a sweat with sprints of 150+mph with one hand, Yes this is your Daddy's bike! Limited of course, after all he is a gentleman 😉

i have a 2017 kawasaki concours and been riding motorcycles for about 40 years now custom bike to supersports and i can say that the Concours is the best bike i ever own smooth fast comfortable can ask for more awesome bike.

This is seriously one of the best motorcycle review clips I've seen. Was thinking about upgrading from my 1988 Concours to a later year model. Definitely interested in the 09' after watching this one. I like that you pointed out your likes and dislikes. And stuck to THIS specific bike. A lot of bike reviewers will spend almost the 1st half of these video reviews boring me w/ their history of what they owned before getting to the point of the friggin' video! Thank you for taking the time to make this. Btw, the lite hearted dance at the end was a nice finishing touch...lol. Much respect.

Just picked up a 2015 with only 4,500 miles in December. You gotta remember this thing has VVT. Below the threshold its useable torque. When you pull the pin on this thing and the VVT opens up, the thing is blisteringly fast. Especially with a pipe and flash.

The GTR/Concourse has secondary throttle body butterfly's that remain closed under 4k, so that's why it doesn't go down there. All the major remaps (Guhl, Ivan's etc.) Remove this effect and give you the full steam down low, at which point it will eat a Bandit 12 in that rev range.

Good grief I have ridden competitive 900 Z-1 based drag bikes in the 80's that don't produce the power of a C14! Not to mention my 2011 Concours 1400 will outrun your "Bandit" Killswitch - in 3rd gear! And while the Triumph is a great bike, it is in no way competition for the C14 even with the bags on board. Maybe it could be doing some serious canyon riding, but definitely not out where they can stretch their legs - not even close. This bike is napping between 1500 and 5000 RPM, but when you pass 6000 RPM it feels like the bike suddenly found a another engine it produces so much power. After all, the engine is a base ZX-14 modified to produce more torque while getting better fuel mileage, and the chassis is also from a ZX-14 with some changes to adapt it for touring. The Connie is nimble and fast in a stock config, and if you have an aftermarket exhaust and an ECU flash it is down right wicked when you ask it to perform. It is a quiet commuter sleeper below 5K and a raging beast when things move into it's power band. I think you need to change your riding style to fully understand this machine. I'm a 300 pounder, so I am basically "two up" all the time and I have a hard time keeping the front wheel on the ground past 6000 RPM in 1st, 2nd, and sometimes 3rd gear just rolling on the power. There is a video called "bikes with too much power" (or something like that) and it features a C-14 easily lifting the front wheel off the ground just rolling on the power as I have said. I call that proof that this video did not reach an accurate conclusion when assessing Connie's engine. But you did a great job on the other elements in the video. Unfortunately the engine and chassis are highlights of the C-14.

Lmao. Nice Funny Video. Connie doesn’t even wake up until 4.5k rpm. RAM AiR kicks in and she is a rocket. I mean she is still a top 10-15 fastest bike in the world and that’s with storage.

I have a 2009 Concours . In my view it's such a nice bike.. whether your out to ride solo or 2 up ..great speed great handling and comfortable.. and in Candy Diamond Red it looks incredible . It's not too much / and not too little . Just a Very cool bike👍🏽.

I have a 2009 Concours and I have ridden it 752 miles in one day. It has a lot of power and I usually get about 45 mpg. I put a trunk on it too and this gives me plenty of storage along with my tankbag.

I have an Ivan's Flash in a full exhaust on mines and it changed the bike from subtle to a monster

Best all-around bike I’ve ever ridden. I have an ‘09.

I have it's cousin, (2008 ZX-14) and my R1 buddy calls it the Kouchasaki. THIS, is the true Kouchasaki. Wowza!!

I've gone grocery shopping on my Concourse many times. Great bike. Want acceleration? Drop a gear or 2 and wind it up! Don't be surprised when you look down and find yourself doing 90 mph.

156 HP 152. Top speed. I am 6-2. My back isn’t that great but with this bike I can ride for hours. Had a Suzuki M1 09 R. After a hour ride. I was hurting from lower back pain. It was the Concorde style riding that made my back feel great. I think it’s one of the best bikes on the road. You must have control. This bike is fast. Ticket on this bike will cost you. They also are very reliable . Keep changing the oil to mobile one synthetic.

I've been really close to pulling the trigger on an older Concours to try out as I loved the Bandit and Fz1 I had. I know they are still different but more comfort will keep me riding! Great vid O!

Nice video review ... I rode a 2 new Yamaha FJRs, 08 and '12, for 8 years and just got a '21 GTR ... def an upgrade all round ...

I’m a little confused. “It throws me back in the seat, I’m blown away”. “It doesn’t pull the way I expected”. I see very little twist of the throttle and short shifting of gears as well. I really think once you get past the intimidation (you brought that up first, not me) period and control this bike for what its worth you will realize there is no comparison to the other bikes mentioned.

You get it above 7k rpms and it does come alive, scares the crap out me but I like it..

Best bike review EVER! 🥳 I’m surprised you didn’t try out the aftermarket throttle lock on the freeway though for cruising... or try some dank whoolies at the top end 😉 I read about a bunch of people that would add a power commander and retune it to bring the power band to the lower revs, but I was always satisfied with airliner taking off feel lol. Thanks so much for taking the Dadmobile out for a romp and sharing your insights!

👏👏 The good thing about those beasts is that they just eeeat up long highway miles.

Wow as a lady rider ,you surely have such experience and opinions based on real life riding👍❤️ my thoughts exactly, and this kawa14 is a versatile and do it all bike in my opinion ,so perfect👍. Shaft drive is practical. Bike stays clean, need periodical gear oil change. Also a clean swing arm allows for ease of inspection of the bike tyres. Chain drive needs lubing or it will loosen up or self destruct. Lubing systems are just a nightmare to use and spills ,buildup of lube+ dirt= more misery! It seems to add up this bike for the type of rider, intelligent, practical one.

Ah man, I'm 24, I love this bike, you can pick it up for quite the bargain too. I hate when bikes are stereotyped as "Dad bikes" or "old man bikes". To me is looks pretty sporty without the saddle bags, like a Hayabusa. I hate the adventure styling that most sport touring bikes have, so this bike is one of the very few options I have in the category of sport touring. Currently I'm riding a FZ6, so definitely considering this a holy grail bike.

Some people should not be doing motorcycle reviews, this video is proof of that.

i feel kinda attacked by this lol. my bestfriend and i just bought matching 2015's in spark black. we put down the miles and tear it up around town on our "old man bikes." at 3.5k-4k it is lacking but get her up around 6k and above and it SCREAMS!!!

I literally watch this video once a week just to "ride along". I still haven't bought one yet but I know I will!

Before I got into adventure riding off road , I had a Yamaha FJR 1300. It was perfect except that it felt like I was doing 30 MPH when the Speedometer said 100 MPH, no good if one needs his license for his Job.

i have had mine for 2 years. honestly , yes , it gets grandpa bike jokes,. but those jokes disspiate when you out ride them , pass them with power and on top of that i can ride with my face shield open 99% of the times unless riding behidn a dump truck or if it is raining. And when it is cold is not issue for me blocks all the wind out. I don't think i can buy a regular bike again just because i enjoy the freedom of riding with my shield open and not being obstructed by the helmet shield. it really feels more free , my windshield sits bellow my eyes and still nothing hits my face.. my friends with the naked bikes have bugs all over the glasses and helmets . not me. I have taken it to new orleans from miami, savanha, athens , key west. this bike is awesome.

Shortshifting a bike that can make over 150 hp then saying it's not responsive enough... this review seems like it's about the rider, not the bike.

Awesome job describing the bike. I lust picked up a 04 zg1000 its definitely a "dad" bike I'm not old or a dad but I wanted something to take long rides and cant do it with the other bikes I own and a goldwing was just not me.

Rode a C14 for 6 years.... switched to a Versys 1000 LT SE+ last year. The Concours is a real mile-eater for sure. As to the power.... crank it and see what happens once you hit 6,000 rpm. Sure, there are faster bikes, but this one is an animal if you turn it loose.

Seriously good to see someone wearing proper gauntlets, and proper gear. Love how she rides.

Great review, an owners of bikes like these are real motorcyclists, people that ride all year round especially here in the uk where the weather is crap😊 I’ve got a ktm 1090 s and I found that with good weather protection and heated grips you ride a lot more👍

I am 5.7 feet tall ,I bought a 2020 Concours , I love it. it can be a challenge on uneven ground!!!!11

The C-14 is an awesome machine for sure. Gotta love a good sport tourer 👍

I ended up replacing my TPMS with right angle inflation valves on the last tire change. Just check my tire pressures weekly. Ride safe

I really appreciate your riding skills and confidence, especially due your size. I got GTR1400 and it's a heavy and pretty tall bike. I'm 6ft/184cm with long legs and I still have to be really careful with the bike when there's sand on tarmac and put my boot down on inclined surface, when making a tight u-turn for example. It's so easy to drop the bike. About the same feelings of the GTR/Concours, super happy with it and it'll get even better when adding optimization to the ECU, Mountain Runner Premium or similar. No cruise control is the only con.

I've been riding a 1996 Honda ST1100 since 1999 and have finally decided it's time to replace it. I'm considering a 2018 or new Goldwing, Yamaha FJR1300, this Coucours and various BMW's. I'm leaning towards this Concours. I plan on buying later this year so I'll see how it plays out. But your video was great and is a strong argument for the Concours.

One of the only other bikes I'd consider owning over my CBR1100XX Blackbird....

Nice Review. I have a 2010, the year they made a few changes, and love it. Then again I got it when I was 40 :P I can attest that you can lay down miles, commute, and grocery shop on a Connie. I am going to be selling mine this spring to get a lighter dual sport to go along with the R1250GSA (insert mid life crisis jokes here) but she will be missed!

solid review....actually with windshield down and no luggage it pretends its a zx14...but yeah its such a great all rounder

Get some Helibars, a Brothers all day aftermarket seat, Shoodaben ECU flash and Area P full racing exhaust.. It's Fun-Fast and as comfortable as a recliner

I have the 2008. The stock seat was very uncomfortable, but after I replaced it with a Corbin that problem was solved.

Really liked your review. Wasn't too long or too short, you got into the very basic necessities and made your comparisons almost all in one breath!! And you mentioned being challenged in the vertical department. I can relate, which motivates me to further consider a purchase. Thank you so much and happy riding!!🤍🌹

I will always have a soft spot for the kawi 1400s

That engine sounds amazing; I love the sound of a inline 4.

Big dad energy....👌😂😂 I love it

First time iv come across your channel and reviews, it's a sub from me, hi from the UK.

Great review! As to power, the 2021/22 version does 0-100 in 3.2 seconds!!! Repeat 100mph in 3.2 seconds! Don't know if the 09 version is less powerful; I think it's slightly smaller cc, but it's quick if you push it!

I have a 13, like it really good. It doesn't have the big hit of an R1 but really how often can you crack any bike wide open for more than a few seconds on the street? It's comfy, handles ok and definitely fast enough. Kids like it on the back.

You can get the ECU flashed to get the power response you want for your preferred riding

Shoodaben tune will fix that torque you said. I just bought a 09 with 39k on it and its a beast all over the rev range

Connie's are great.

Im on my 2nd new C14, great durable bikes 👍

Funny you didn't even get on it. Short shifting! Let it roll all the way, I have a 2018 and I would smoke a speed triple or a bandit!

Love this bike, mine is silver. But why are you riding with High Beams on?

I had a 1981 Kawasaki 1000 shaft tour and it was a sweet bike from back then😎😎

Love my connie . Wasnin the market for a bmw rt1200 . A friend ask was the bmw 15k more better of a bike ? Purchased the connie all smiles.

Owned a 2010 about 3years. I only have a question…. Why do Kawasaki always leak oil from the cylinder head gasket?

Great video, the older gen can definitely be bought for around $2K-$4K

I've had my Ninja 1000 since new (2017) - OEM bags - set up for sport tour - my track days are over. For well over a year I'm tempted by going to Concours 14. Maybe I need to go see my awesome Kawa dealer soon.

Nice review 👍 I was disappointed by the power at first as I had expected similar acceleration in 5th as my previous ZZR1100’s but realised that you need to drop down to 2nd and 3rd and add some revs. Plenty power. 😎👍

My only real complaint about the early years (08-09) is the godawful engine heat that comes back on the riders legs in temperatures over 80 degrees and its propensity to heat up in traffic...other than that I love mine. A reflashed ecu and reasonable riding habits will net you approximately 50 mpg on midgrade fuel which gives you decent range on the 5.8 gallon tank. All that said, if you are a cooler weather rider anyway as I tend to want to be, the heat issue is less important than if I rode all summer long. Its stupidly quick if you use the available rev range and its a way faster bike than I am a rider. Anyone that thinks these things are slow has a seriously warped sense of normal performance. Just saying. Its faster than almost ANY car on the planet and given the performance of some the hotter teslas and cars in that category, thats mighty damn quick. If I had it to do over again I would look for a circa 2012-2015 model for the better fairing design that routes the hot air from the engine away from the rider and has some rider aids like traction control and such...do your research and choose accordingly. They are good solid bikes and run and handle well. Like anything, they have their quirks, but you will look long and hard to find anything that performs better for the money. Finding competent maintenance facilities near you may be an issue. I have struggled with that where I live and continue to do so.

Really great review, try the zzr 1400 for light speed experience!

Agreed on the power, it kind of feels underwhelming initially. I think they could have detuned it further to make that torque accessible really down low. Otherwise you need to be way above speed limits to just start using the engine. It's by no means underpowered or slow, but I think my DR650 could out accelerate it in the first 25 feet :)

Neato. I'm actually tracking a deal on a used one where I live and this has me just about sold I think. That and this girl makes the bike seem like a lot of fun.

I installed Steve's Flash ECU and now it's fly 👆

YOU HAVE TO REV IT DWEETY---YOU WILL FEEL IT !

Great review! My wallet has been trying to find a video to talk me OUT of making this big purchase to upgrade bikes and this definitely wasn’t it 😂 in terms of girth, do you think you can still lane filter, maybe without the side cases?

Take out the secondary throttle bodies, they don’t fully open until 6th gear at WOT, with those out, it makes a world of difference.

I love my 2021!! Great review, you nailed!

"Weather report be damned.." Oh yeah, I'm staying to watch!

run Berryman B12 thru it every tank. half a can. my valk gets 33 a gallon!

You are a ballsy chick! I'm over 6 feet tall and 275 and this thing scared the hell of me!

I think there is a reason why I found this review today. I'm looking at a 2014 Connie with 8800 miles and something about this bike catches my eye. Now the thing that is so awesome about your review is that you and I are only 1" apart in height, I'm 5'5" tall but I do believe I have a smaller torso and that's where the vertical challenge comes in. Long story...Can I ask what your inseam is? I sat on one of these, older model, and the ball of my foot sat firmly on the ground same as my previous bike a Honda 919 hornet. Just curious...

KQ, not for me, I'm 5-5 but probably have shorter legs than you do. That aside, it's a really great machine that you presented very well. Good luck for your friend on the sale. Somebody is in for a real treat.

Blown away about not being blown away. Totally something I would've said.

Hi There,the video was fabulose its very WELCOME for guy like me,Im very undecided at the moment,I have been lloking at differents bike like KTM,Versy,VFR, can not make my mind up,I have a big inclination for the Concord and after seing your video I am more encouraged. Probably the part of NOT been a bit agressive it will suit me(Im 67 years OLD),would you buy a 0 Km or a good second hand low milages(8549 miles). Many Thanks For Your Inputs!!!!!

I just got a 2016 concours (and funny enough, it used to be my dads), and it's an amazing bike. After 176,000 miles, all it really needs is a new clutch basket, and it's ready to go. Really hoping to start riding it soon. The only real downside to these bikes is the insurance.

Not aggressive enough for you. Lol you rode it like a grandma. Twist that throttle and red line it and shift a few gears that way.

LMAO!!!! The ending dance was worth the entire review!!!!

@6:41 who knew Boba Fett rides a Kawi? Great review.

Nice rearset lowering footpegs. Anyone know what brand or how to obtain those?

Lady, if I may, I understand why you felt the relative lack of power. As others have already said, this bike has what I call a kind of a safety feature some larger capacity bikes have due to the electronic managed opening of the secondary butterflies in the throttle bodies, because of the amount of power these engines may deliver. Riding below a certain rpm threshhold she will, in fact, give you that feeling of not having enough power. But be aware! If you go behond that threshold, you'll get the power! On slippery surfaces it may not be easy to handle. And as others have already mentioned, if you want, there are ways to get all the power that is possible to get from the lower rpm range. Other way and one of the easiest, is just to shift down at will to rev it up and get the power...Please, take care!

I wanted to like it, but it had a few issues for me. Too cramped for me, no cruise control were the biggest issues. I ended up getting a R1200RT and even that bike I had to put risers and peg lowering kit and a Calsci XL windscreen. It's a lot lighter than the C14, although it's not as fast/quick, that's ok.

Since this is a bigger bike, can you lane split on the concours?

I’d like to buy the 2022 model. But I’ll see if they got plans on doing some changes for 2023. If not, cool. Just snatch it up and enjoy rides from AL to Cali. Visit some highways in Washington state then go back to AL. What Kawasaki needs to do is put the 14R motor in it instead of the 1352cc motor. Change the dash a bit go full digital or something like that. Never ridden a shaft driven bike before so that’ll be a nice new experience for me.

What about BGDE? Big grand-dad energy. 50+ years of riding has to count for something. And the grandkids all think we’re awesome. 😊

I don;t know if it has been written before but HIGH BEAM IS ON! P.S. I got the same bike and if you lose the unnecessary for daily rides side panniers and the ugly tall screen (and I AM TALL - like 6'9" barefoot tall but I'm fine with an MRA vario short screen) the bike looks better than my same year ZZR1400, I previously owned. With an open Remus carbon exhaust (open - withput the baffle - because it runs too rich from the factory and there's a huge difference in pull when you open her up), the sound is awesome.

To be perfect for me just need a city mode to cut the power. 155cv its too much for it. I'm loving mine.

You do great reviews!

Great review however these days most companies tame the lower end with secondary butterflies, either remove these and add a good fuel controller or get your ECU flashed, £250 all done then you have instant power all the way through, not that you really need to lol. beauty of this bike is it is so sedate lower down for the commute and towns, get in that 6k band and go go go! Jack of all trades!

Great bike but as you can see from profile pic I prefer the V4 over the I4.

It's a vvt motor, it hits at about 4500, it's a beast, I smoked a Ducati 998